Broward County Finally Rules in Favor of Uber
The county is prepared to issue the ride-booking giant a permanent license, finally putting a prolonged legal fight to rest and blessing Uber’s insurance policies as meeting Florida law, internal county memos say. The same is expected for its smaller competitor, Lyft, and other “transportation network companies.” Uber reacted with jubilance.
The latest decision, a county reversal on a key sticking point, comes as Uber’s six-month provisional license to operate in Broward is set to expire. Under the new county position, Uber drivers in Broward will be allowed to carry the same personal auto insurance a non-Uber driver would. Drivers will be covered under Uber’s $1 million insurance policy when using the Uber app. The rest of the time, they don’t need commercial insurance, the county has determined, mirroring the position of the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
The insurance quandry has dogged Uber and its drivers across the country, as critics claim there are coverage gaps that could leave accident victims and Uber drivers exposed. Meanwhile, private insurers are scrambling to keep up with the new driving trend. In many states, but not in Florida, private insurers now offer a hybrid commercial-personal insurance for Uber drivers.
Uber is similar to a taxi service, but its drivers use their personal vehicles and are connected to customers via the smartphone apps. Uber drivers are treated differently in county law than taxi drivers are; namely, transportation network companies like Uber can field unlimited vehicles and charge any rate, while taxi numbers are limited and fares are set by the county.
The county changed its official stance based on a position put out by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, in a pending lawsuit on the issue filed by Broward’s Yellow Cab, officially B&L Service Inc. Even without state legislation, the state agency said Uber’s insurance is sufficient.
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